Love in the Gallows
by Kkyattsuai-Tsume456
Summary: AU. Kagome is a captive on the Black Pearl and is forced to become a pirate herself if she ever wants to see her family again. Will she begin to love the fearful pirate Captin? Or will she kill him for all the pain he put her through?
1. A Captive and a Captain

**Hey there everyone! We were finally able to upload the story! Thank goodness the system error didn't last too long. :) For those of you who are wondering, this is _NOT_ a Pirates of the Caribbean revision! Although some situations might seem familiar.♥**

**_Well, this is my first fanfic ever, but I had help from my co-writer, so please give us both some credit on this! We'll both be responding to you're reviews (please leave one!) and writing all the stories. Every story we write will be posted on either mine or AIsuaka's profile._**

We'll be waiting for your reviews! Hope you like the story! Like Kkyattsuai said, any story will be on my or her profile, so keep checking in once in a while. So without further adieu, onward with the story!

_**Kkyattsuai-Tsume456**_ & AIsuaka-tesaki267

Disclaimer- We don't own Inuyasha _or _Pirates of the Caribbean. :(

♪♪♪

Kagome sighed as she walked along her usual trail to the market. This was how it was every morning. Souta would complain that there wasn't enough food in this village and then she would tell him that he was fat enough as it is. Then her mom would come and tell them to break it up and after an hour-long argument, Kagome is sent to the village market.

_Darn it, Souta! Why do you do this to me everyday?! Wait until I get home, I **will **get my revenge! Muahahahahahahaha!!_

Kagome smirked as she thought of ingenious ways she could plot her plan. She made her way to the port and went shopping for their breakfast. She took her time to buy her things; it wasn't as though anything ever happened in the Higurashi Village anyway.

The sea had hundreds of ships docking and sailing in the waters. They were in all sizes, but they were all magnificent…except for the fishing boats, they stink like Souta when they didn't have any hot water and he refused to take a bath for months. Kagome wrinkled her nose at the memory and shook her head. She returned her gaze to the ocean. One particular ship caught her eye though. She had always known what ships came to dock every day and when. It was a habit of hers when she was bored. This one wasn't theirs.

What the— 

"_**Pirates!**" _

Kagome's eyes widened as she watched the huge ship port and thousands of men jump out with swords and small bombs in their hands. Her feet were frozen and she couldn't seem to move her body. Others around her ran like the devil was on their heels.

_Probably right. Pirates…they're the devils of the sea. _Kagome forced herself to run away just as a pirate hurled the round ball towards her. Kagome ignored it and continued to sprint as far as she could from the pirates; all she knew was that she had to get to her family to warn them.

BOOM! 

She was blown off her feet and twisted her ankle as she fell down hard, all around her, all the villagers were running in a frantic mess. Kagome winced as another blown blew up to her right and sprayed her with debris. She could hear the pirates coming closer. She could hear shouts of terror and joy. Not hard to know which was which, she thought bitterly.

Determined, Kagome pulled herself up and limped towards her home. Flames erupted from the bombs and surrounded her in their embrace. People pushed her in their hurry to get away. There was one small boy running the opposite direction towards her.

"Kagome!" Souta shouted. He ran towards her and held her steady. Her mind was blurred and she couldn't think straight. The sky was covered in black ashes, making it look like night…

_When did it turn to night so soon…? Someone's shaking me…Souta…?_

"Nee-chan! Nee-chan! Wake up!" Kagome opened her eyes and saw her little brother's terrified cobalt ones. Gasping, she tried to tell him to run, but the smog was getting caught in her lungs. "Sou..ta…get..way…irates…mom…hurry…!" she coughed.

Souta's eyes widened, somehow knowing that something was terribly off and he nodded. "It'll be okay, Nee-chan. I'll get you to Mama." Kagome shook her head and stared at her brother. She looked at his dirt-smudged face and confused eyes and made her final decision. Kagome wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "I love you, Souta. Mom too. Don't ever forget that, ok?" She had tears in her eyes as she hugged him tight.

Souta looked confused when she pulled away. Kagome gave him a watery smile then pushed him away harshly. All the people carried Souta away, but he screamed for her. His eyes were filled with tears as he was taken away from his only sister and soon, he disappeared from her sight. She limped, robbed of energy from her emotions.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Hey Maten, what about this one? She's a looker alright." Hiten smirked.

Kagome slowly lifted her head. "Leave me be, filthy pirate scum." She spat. Hiten looked amused and grabbed her by her hair and yanked her up. Kagome screamed as she was lifted off her feet and forced to look at the pirate.

"Is that anyway to talk to a gentleman such as myself? Don't worry, we won't hurt you…much." Hiten smiled sinisterly. Kagome had just about enough of this rubbish, her hands shook with anger.

SLAP! 

Hiten looked shocked as he rubbed his abused cheek.

Kagome was beyond pissed and she took control, "You have no right to talk to me like that! Go back hell where you belong." she gritted out, her eyes were narrowed and raging with emotions.

"You insolent bitch!" Hiten roared and punched her hard in the gut. Kagome doubled over on the ground, spitting out blood. Hiten growled and heaved her over his shoulder, "I'll leave you alive for now, but just wait until you meet the captain. You'll wish I had killed you."

"Brother! It's time to go, we've raided every house and got everything we needed." Manten called. Hiten nodded towards the ship.

Kagome's eyes watered at the thought of pirates raiding her house and she thought she might be sick, but she didn't dare make another sound. She glanced over Hiten's shoulder and saw the gigantic ship towering over them. She felt her heart pound in her chest. Kagome wasn't sure whether it was fear or excitement…

…wait a minute. Why the bloody hell would she be excited?

Hiten jumped on board the deck and tied her wrists and ankles together. "Best not having ye striking out again, eh?" he grunted. Kagome didn't hear him. She was too confused on the sudden change of vocabulary and grammar.

_Thump_…_Thump_…_Thump_

"Well, ye all did a bloody great job, mates. With robbing and all. Ye all be splicing the mainbrace tonight."

Cheers arose and Kagome was confused. What the heck was a mainbrace? Splicing? This is a grammar nightmare. She thought.

"Cap'n! I have brought ye a landlubber. She's a feisty one mind ye." Hiten shouted within the crowd. Immediately all eyes turned to the ground where Kagome was tied and shouts broke out.

"Aye, she's a pretty one!"

"Sink me! The lass is skinny as a stick!"

"Are ye blind!? She's just small, is all. Look at that figure!"

"ENOUGH!"

All was silent again as the Captain strutted across the deck to where Kagome was. Other pirates moved aside to let him through. Kagome lifted her head and suppressed a gasp.

The Captain was utterly gorgeous and that barely described him even. He had silver hair, untamed and wild that fell to his waist. A medium sized hat rested on his head. His skin was tanned from hours on the deck in the sun, and his hands were rough and splintered. His nails were sharp and long and Kagome wondered if he ever cut them. He was muscular all around, not overly, but he seemed stronger than ordinary men. He had on a pair of slacks, white shirt, leather boots, and an old, beat up sword on his hip. His mouth was in a scowl, a fang poking out. What really enchanted her were his eyes. They were scalding hot, those golden orbs. They stared her down as she stared back and Kagome swore that if she were drooling, she would never allow herself to see the sun again.

♪♪♪

Captain Inuyasha was beyond pissed when he heard Hiten's announcement. First, he decides to swing around his sword in battle, nearly beheading his own crew. Now, he brings another bitch on board. Growling, Inuyasha stomped to where the girl lay.

As if we need another woman here. Sango is a handful already. Not to mention the 'monk', damn houshi can't even keep his hands off the men!

Of course, the incident was an accident, but Inuyasha never got over the feel of Miroku's hands on his…

Shivering, he looked over at girl on the ground and felt shock overcome him.

So his men were right, she _was _a looker. Long, raven hair cascaded down her shoulders to her waist. It looked soft and shined, despite the dirt and mud smeared on it. Her skin was smooth and pale, unlike his own. Her entire figure screamed feminine, it was curvaceous and long. Her chest was perfect, it was round and not overly small or large. She was dressed in a long outer coat and an inner dress, both were ripped beyond repair, but it also gave her a good look at her legs. Which, of course, he stared at longer than necessary. She looked a little underfed, but she was healthy. What really amazed him, was her eyes. They were a brilliant shade of blue, burning with hatred. How could something so blue, look so…bloody red?! Inuyasha shook his head and glared at her. She glared back. Interesting…

Smirking, Inuyasha shouted, "Miroku!" A man dressed in purple slacks and blue shirt wedged his way between the crewmen.

"Captain Inuyasha?"

"Take this girl to the bilge! Along with all the other sprogs. Don't let any of them be escaping now, ye hear? We'll need 'em for hornswaggling in the Era." Inuyasha ordered.

The crewmen snickered.

Miroku nodded, "Aye, Captain."

He gently lifted the girl from her feet and led her to a trapdoor in the floor. Surprisingly, she followed without complaint. The fact that she and Inuyasha were having a glaring contest the whole way might have something to do with it though…

Who knew it was humanly possible to go without blinking for this long...

♪♪♪

Kagome was still staring at the Captain, even when he called another pirate over, they didn't break eye contact. She was not losing a glaring contest with him, no way. She was going to wipe that stupid smirk of his cute face and…oh my…he has a very…_nice _voice. A very, very_ **nice **_voice. It was deep and low and manly and…sexy…oh my…

Absorbed in the sound, Kagome barely heard the words spoken and she didn't respond when the pirate picked her up. She was surprised how gently he lifted her up though. He led her somewhere, but she was too busy glaring at the cocky Captain to notice.

Only when her feet stepped into water did she turn away, but also because, she was underground and couldn't see him anymore. The pirate led her through the twists and turns beneath the ship. He stopped at a door with a small window and turned the knob. He gestured for her to go inside.

Kagome, confused as ever, did what he asked. He followed her inside.

It was dark and dimly litted by the light from the deck. There were other figures in the room, they were small and didn't move when she came in. There was water on the ground, it was only up to her ankles though. The pirate placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay Miss…?"

Kagome wasn't sure if she should trust this man, but he seemed sincere and she decided that there wasn't much choice anyway.

"Kagome from the Higurashi Village. And you?" She looked straight into his brown eyes. He was only slightly tanned, not as much as Inuyasha. He had a nice smile on his face and his black hair was tied back into a small ponytail. He had two earrings on one ear and one on the other. He was dressed like every other pirate, but he his right hand was covered in cloth and beads. He also had a staff on his back, it was sharp like a sword, but it had no handle.

"Miroku, from the Kaze Village. Nice to meet your acquaintance Miss Kagome." Miroku extended his hand out to her. Kagome took it.

"Who was that? What was he saying? It made no sense!"

Miroku laughed, "That, my dear, was Captain Inuyasha. The most feared pirated Captain in the seven seas. Well, that's what the rumors say. He was talking in the native pirate tongue. You know, the whole 'yo-ho-ho' and 'argh!' bundle of nonsense. Oh, and he said that I was supposed to take you to the bilge and keep an eye on you and the others."

Kagome was still confused, "What's a bilge? What others?"

Miroku scratched his head, "Well, it's the lowest level on a ship. The other's are those kids you see over there."

Kagome looked over and saw that the figures were indeed small children sitting in the water.

"Why do you have kids down here?! It can't be healthy!"

Miroku tried to calm her, "It's safest for them to be here than on deck with burly pirates who love to get into fights with each other. Please understand Miss Kagome. We use them for, ah, cheating. In the Era, it's where all pirates go for drinks or profit. We usually leave them there or if they are sufficient enough, we take them with us."

Kagome was angry, how dare they leave children on a dishonest trading slave market! They couldn't do that to small kids! And—

She stopped her inner ranting when she felt an unwelcome hand rubbing her backside. Eye twitching, she turned her death glare to Miroku, who had suddenly found the filthy water very interesting.

♪♪♪

"Oi! What happened to ye, mate? Ye look like ye saw Davy Jones in a thong!" A crewman called to Miroku. Inuyasha turned and saw his first mate wet with bilge water and an idiotic grin on his face. He also sported a red handprint on the side of his face.

"Hey, houshi. Aren't ye being a squiffy? Quit dawdling in yer disgusting fantasies and get back to work!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Cap'n, I thinks he be messing with the prisoners again." Maten said.

Inuyasha popped a vein and knocked Miroku unconscious. "Haul the masts! Weigh anchor! We be taking her out to sea."

His crew groaned at the thought of going out at sea again for weeks before they arrive at the Era, but they scrambled to work. Having Inuyasha as Captain means no complaining, or ye walk the plank…in a shark-infested zone…naked...and without yer precious jewels.

Inuyasha hauled Miroku to his room and left him on the bed. Sango will find him soon enough, and that mark doesn't look like it's going to leave anytime soon. The bitch did a number on him. Feh, women and their emotions. But Inuyasha can't help but notice that she was shockingly brave against his crew. That didn't mean that he liked her or anything, but she did earn points for smacking Hiten. The bastard had it coming anyhow.

He straightened and walked to his quarters, planning for the trip to the Era.

♪♪♪

Kagome limped against the wall and fumed. That stupid pirate! How dare he treat her like a whore! Oh, Miroku is going to pay. She'd make sure of it. Calming herself, Kagome tried to think freely and looked over to the huddled group of children. Slowly walking over, Kagome tried to talk to them.

"Um, excuse me?"

Most of the children ignored her, but one turned to her.

"What are your names? Mine's Kagome." Kagome tried to talk to them, but they didn't seem to want to talk to her. One girl from the group rose and turned to her. The others glared at her and tried to pull her down.

"Rin! What do you think your doing! Get down, do you want them to come down here again?" A kid with auburn hair hissed at her. He had green eyes and they locked onto Kagome, daring her to come closer. The girl tugged away from him and walked to Kagome. Her thumb was stuck firmly in her mouth, but she talked anyway.

"My name's Rin, Miss Kagome. And that's Shippo." Rin pointed to the frowning boy with auburn hair. "Why are you on this boat?"

Kagome was relieved that someone would talk to her; she didn't want to be silent. It just wasn't her. "I was kidnapped. What are all you kids doing on this ship anyway?" Kagome asked.

"We were abandoned and Mr. Inuyasha brought us aboard. He's really nice to us, but he doesn't act like it when there are other people around. Miss Sango and Mr. Miroku don't count." Rin chirped. Kagome was still registering the thought of Inuyasha being nice. Rin smiled and took Kagome's hand and led her to their little group.

Kagome sat down beside Rin and fidgeted. All the other kids were staring at her and she felt nervous. Rin clung to her arm.

She looked about 8 and had dirty coal black hair that was half tied into a ponytail on the side of her head. She wore a checkered kimono and was barefoot. Her brown eyes were wide and innocent. Kagome looked towards Shippo. The 10-year-old and scowled when he caught her looking at him. "What are you looking at?" Startled, she looked away.

"Hey, uh, Rin?" Kagome tried to break the tension in the small room. Rin looked up at her, "What kind of ship is this anyway? I mean it doesn't look like any ship I've ever seen before. The crew doesn't seem human either. If the ship was a pirate ship, then it would be scratched and dirty and have black sails…wouldn't it?"

Kagome had just now noticed that the ship was actually pretty tidy looking and the sails were white with a golden hue instead of the black, tattered sails that she had imagined.

Rin tilted her head in thought, "You really don't know, do you, Miss Kagome?"

Kagome shook her head, confused.

Rin sighed, "Miss Kagome, this is a pirate ship. A lot of bad people are after Mr. Inuyasha's ship and Mr. Inuyasha. It's self-reparable and can't sink. There's supposed to be a treasure on this ship that makes it so special. But there's also a curse that keeps most pirates away."

Rin looked serious, "I'm afraid, Miss Kagome…That you're a captive on _the Black Pearl_."


	2. Will it change?

Miss Kagome… 

Miss Kagome…

MISS KAGOME!

Kagome jumped to her feet, inadvertently spraying water everywhere, including her.

Spitting out the filthy water that seems to have gotten into her mouth, Kagome desperately tried to get rid of the taste of bile water. Grimacing, she noticed something strange. The water that only yesterday was up to her ankles, was know up to her knees and slowly rising.

"GAH!" Kagome ran to the latched door and pounded furiously on it. "Let me out of here! The water's rising! I'm going to drown! Do you hear me?! Let me out!" She pounded on the splintered door until her hands were red, but no one came.

Frustrated, Kagome sunk to her knees by the door and stayed there with her head bowed until Rin came over. The small girl gently brushed some hair away from Kagome's face and tried to pull her up.

"Miss Kagome, please don't do this. The bilge water is rising and we must pump it. There's nothing wrong, it always happens, it's totally natural!" Rin tried her best to reassure the girl, but she only seemed to make it worse and Kagome slumped further to the ground.

Kagome snuck a glance to the other children. Shippo was helping other boys pump a valve that Kagome hadn't seem to have noticed before. There was a rushing noise that indicated that water was slowly draining from the cell. The children were taking turns pumping the valve and they were calm the whole time.

Kagome rested against the door and closed her eyes. Faintly, she heard Rin walk away slowly to help the others. She hadn't gotten any sleep at all last night, the pirates had been laughing and shouting. Rin explained that splicing the mainbrace was having a drinking party.

It's been so…rushed, these past few days. She didn't understand, _the Black Pearl_? There was no way that she was on board the legendary ghost ship. It just wasn't possible! Of all the bloody pirates ships that had to kidnap her, it just had to be this one!

"Daddy, I want to know about the Bwack Pearwrl! All the odar kids said that it was reawy scawy. Is it daddy?" A small 5-year-old girl with pigtails asked her father.

_Her father laughed and put his daughter in his lap, "Kagome, the Black Pearl is a legendary ship. It has magical powers, and it depends all on the Captain whether it's scary or not." _

_Kagome wrinkled her nose, "But why the captain, daddy?"_

"_That's the way the ship is built. The Ship reacts to the Captain's emotions and feelings. If the man is bad, then the ship will give him a horrible curse. If the man is good, then the ship will be peaceful and you might just find the treasure on that ship." _

"_What tweasure daddy? What's a tweasure look like?" Kagome asked, enchanted. _

_Her father smiled and picked her up and twirled her about. Kagome squealed in glee. _

"_Like this! A treasure is something dear and something you love. It's something that you would never leave behind or walk away from. It's something that is precious to you." Her father gave her a kiss and set her down. _

Water splashed against her face, waking Kagome from her daydream. She sputtered and looked at Shippo who was holding a bucket. She glared at Shippo and he glared back.

"Don't just sit there! Help us!" He dropped the bucket and went to rest against the prison wall with his group. Sighing, Kagome got to her feet and gripped the slippery handle on the valve and began pumping the water from the ship.

♪♪

"MIROKU! WHEN I FIND YOU, YOU ARE GOING STRAIGHT TO THE GALLOWS! YOU HEAR ME!?!" A female voice screeched, leaving every man on ship trembling. Inuyasha frowned, it was Sango and boy was she angry.

He was in his office as usual, signing away papers and mail.

Actually, he was just doodling. There wasn't much to do on this ship when there weren't any fights or they weren't dropping port.

Ok, so there was A LOT to finish, but hey, he's a pirate. Being lazy was his specialty. Other than stealing, cheating, fighting, spitting…the usual. Leaning back on his chair, Inuyasha closed his eyes.

That girl, Kagome, by Miroku's offer, who was she? Only later did he realize that she was strikingly similar to Kikyo. He scowled. Even the thought of the bitch made him angry. They had the same hair, figure, skin, facial feature, but definitely not the eyes. Kikyo's was gray and her personality reflected as so. She was cold and indifferent, much like Inuyasha. She wouldn't let anyone get close to her, like Inuyasha.

She was like him in every way. So what made them split?

Rubbing his eyes, Inuyasha thought of the new girl on his ship.

Kagome…her eyes told a whole different story. They could fill with so much hatred when provoked, it made her eyes darken a shade. He wondered what they would look like when she was happy or sad...or fearful. Inuyasha's frown deepened, for some odd reason, he didn't want her to be sad or fear anything.

"Why not?" He growled. "I'm Captain Inuyasha, everyone should fear me and cower beneath me!" Inuyahsa muttered.

"INUYASHA!"

Annoyed and startled, he fell from his chair. A loud crash followed soon afterwards, then a shout and curse.

"ARGH! BLIMEY, SANGO! WHAT BE YE TRYING TO DO!? KILL ME?!" Inuyasha roared. Sango stood before him in his office, fuming.

"Inuyasha, I demand that you do somethi—"

"THAT'S CAPTAIN INUYASHA TO YE, SECOND IN COMMAND! AND YE DON'T _GIVE_ DEMANDS, YE **TAKE** THEM!" Inuyasha yelled at her, slamming his fist on the table, nearly breaking it. Sango noticed and winced, lowering her head.

"Captain Inuyasha, I would like to ask permission to be the Jack Ketch and…_dance…_with **_Sir_** Miroku." Sango gritted out. Her fists were clenched and Inuyasha could tell that she was trying her best not to swing out.

Straightening himself, he gestured to the seat in front of him. She sat.

"We're alone, Sango." He offered.

She visibly relaxed, "That god, I was beginning to think that I would lose my head over all this pirate nonsense." They dropped formalities there.

Inuyasha smirked, "I have a reputation to keep as a pirate, you know. So, tell me, what's this about wanting to execute Miroku…again?"

Sango returned to her anger stage, "He's been groping other women! He's out of control Inuyasha! He's even resorted to touching the prisoners! I want him mauled, Inuyasha." She spoke with complete seriousness and for not the glint in her eyes, Inuyasha would've thought that she was serious.

"You can't Sango. Miroku is my first mate. You're second; you can't eliminate those higher ranks than you without a good reason Sango. Reason being that it has to be that he killed a crewmember for fun and other things like that." He corrected himself quickly when he saw her protest. She fell quiet.

There was an almost bored atmosphere in the room as Inuyasha groaned and made up his decision. "Alright. You can maul him, but I want him fit to fight before 3 days."

Sango's eyes shined with joy and she opened her mouth to ask.

"And no, you can't castrate him. He won't ever get over that."

Her eyes dimmed slightly, but she jumped up and saluted, "Aye Cap'n!" She skipped out with a smile on her face.

Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair, "Sango! Belay!"

She stopped and turned, "Aye?"

"I want ye to feed those landlubbers down there. I also give ye permission to speak to one and only one."

Sango raised an eyebrow.

"Kagome of the Higurashi Village. The new lass."

Both of her eyes shot up and she gaped at him. "Is she Going On The Account?!" She was excited to have another female companion on board. Someone she can talk to that would understand her problems and not tell her to stop whining!

"No. She's a captive. Ye be taking her and the others food and water for until I say belay."

Sango jumped and squealed, causing Inuyasha to wince slightly.

Ironic how people always seem to go against his thoughts whenever he's thinking. He just made Sango's day, giving her permission to both beat and talk to the girl. Inuyasha sat back and covered his eyes, what had he done?

♪♪

She panted hard and braced against the wall, the water to her ankles once more. Great, my feet will be pruned by the end of the day. Kagome scowled. Her arms were burning with pain from hauling the same movements all day. She now held a new respect for the children for having to do this all day.

A small hand rested on her shoulder, she looked up and saw Rin's smiling cobalts staring back. Kagome smiled and scooted over for Rin. The two sat in comfortable silence and watched the other group use the bilge pump. Kagome was slowly getting adjusted with the bilge, though she argued for days on end for someone to let her out, she was getting used to it. But her stomach had different ideas as it made itself known.

Kagome blushed and Rin laughed. "Don't worry Miss Kagome, someone always brings food around this hour. You aren't forgotten." Rin smiled.

A few more minutes and it turns out that Rin was right. The trapdoor opened and light filled the bilge. Kagome had to shield her eyes and Rin did the same. A figure made it's way down the stairs, holding a tray with a delicious aroma.

"Well, ye must all be starving now, eh? I have something that be feeding your stomachs with!" Kagome squinted against the figure as the door closed and they were surrounded by the familiar darkness once more. It was a girl, she realized with shock.

She had dark hair that was in a low ponytail and eyes with magenta eye shadow that sparkled like her bright smile. Her complexion was smooth, but her hands were rough from handling a weapon all the time. She was dressed in black shorts that fitted her well and a dark pink tank top. She had a green bandana tied to her arm and a pink one covering her head. She had a short katana sword on her waist and another sword strapped to her back.

Kagome stared open mouthed, too astonished to speak.

But the girl wasn't.

"Blimey! You all don't be looking to well, when's the last time you've been fed?!" She questioned skeptically.

"2 days and 1 night ago Miss Sango." Shippo answered politely.

Kagome snapped her gaze to him. Since when did _he _start being so polite? He always referred to her as 'girl', or 'you'. Kagome glared at Shippo, but he ignored her.

"Damn that Cap'n Inuyasha. That's alright. I've brought you all some food!" Sango opened the door, stepped in, then firmly closed the door behind her. So much for hopes of escaping, thought Kagome.

The tray had rice cakes, bread, milk, water, fruit, and meat on it. The children immediately began to feast, they didn't push each other for the food, rather, they allowed the youngest to eat first and went in that order.

Kagome awed at the manners that these children possessed until a tap on her shoulder distracted her. Sango smiled at her and handed her a misshapen rice cake. Kagome ate it as if it were the most delectable thing on the planet.

Sango took a seat next to her offered her hand.

"Hi, I'm Sango from the Taiji Village."

Kagome gladly took it.

"Kagome, from the Higurashi Village. Nice to meet you Sango!" and she meant it. It was nice to see another female who was her own age to stand next to.

"Why does everybody talk differently at times? You're talking normally now. Why though? Couldn't you just stick to one language instead of switching back and forth?" Kagome immediately questioned her.

Sango laughed, she thought that Kagome would be curious, but this was ridiculous! "It's a rule, Kagome. Captain's orders. You must talk the way of the pirate on _the Black Pearl _or face the consequences. I think it's because of tradition and whatnot. To keep the pirate race going, I guess."

"Oh? That's stupid!"

"Well, we don't have to talk formally or piratey when we are alone with either the pirate or close friends." Sango shrugged "Probably so that we won't forget our own traditions or something."

The girls talked for hours about the ship and crew and screwed men in general until the dimming in light above on the deck showed that it was night "I should probably get going now, huh Kagome? It was really nice meeting you! I haven't talked to another girl in ages." Sango smiled, a genuine one.

Kagome returned it "You too Sango. Will I be seeing you again tomorrow?" Kagome asked hopefully. She jumped with joy when Sango nodded.

"I'll be serving your food from now until the Captain says. So, I'll talk to you some more tomorrow?"

Kagome nodded enthusiastically and waved at Sango as she left the bilge. Looking back, she saw that the other kids, Shippo and Rin included, had already fallen asleep. She took off her outer dress coat and draped it around them all as a makeshift blanket. It was torn beyond repair, but it'll do.

Kagome looked at herself and realized that her inner dress was wet and torn at the hem and collar. She was barefoot and her hair was in desperate need of a wash. Thank god that the dress was blue though. It was faded, but it was better than white.

She smiled, having a new found friend aboard a pirate ship somehow made everything seem worthwhile. Kagome tilted her head back against the wall as she thought of all the things Sango told her about.

Sango was around her age of 15 and she also had a little brother that was onboard this ship too. Both girls seemed a little uncomfortable talking about their siblings so they moved onto more cheerful topics. Sango was a skilled swordswoman; she was stronger than all men on the crew, excluding Inuyasha and Miroku. But when Kagome asked about the Curse of the Ship, Sango shied away from her. Her mood darkened a bit and Kagome backed off the subject.

Rubbing her arms for warmth, Kagome tried her best to sleep.

Little did she know, a long day awaited her tomorrow.

♪♪

"She was so sad about leaving her family, Miroku. I feel sorry for her."

Sango and Miroku were out on the deck, feet dangling off the rails. Sango had Miroku's outer robe draped over her and his arm around her with her lying on his shoulder. Miroku rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Nothing can be done about that Sango. She has to do what the Captain orders, and you know we can't make him angry or pressure him. You've had your fair share of pain as well…we all have."

Sango's hand clenched and Miroku's large one covered her own. She relaxed and sighed exasperated.

"What can we do? She doesn't deserve to live through it all. No one does. Not even us." Sango felt tears pushing against her eyes and she valiantly tried to hold them back. A small sob escaped her when Miroku pulled her tight into his warm arms. She wrapped her arms around his back and buried her face in his shirt.

Miroku stroked the top of her head, "…Now, what's this about you wanting to maul me?" He asked softly.

Sango looked up into his amused eyes and laughed. "You won't get away without punishment this time, houshi. You will pay for all you deeds." She said teasingly.

The pirate smiled serenely, "But dear Sango, I only have eyes for you."

Sango's right eye twitched as she felt a familiar hand rubbing in a familiar place.

**SMACK!**

"Oh Sango, you have quite the strength. I'm sure that you'll put that into good use, right?" Miroku teased. Sango glared at him with a gleam in her eye.

Then she laughed.

It was a cold, hopeless laugh, but it was also heartwarming all the same. It made Miroku smile and chuckle a bit himself. Sango leaned against his chest and slowly closed her eyes, the image of Miroku's smile

Thank you… 


End file.
